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Claire Harris
by George J. Dance Claire Harris (born June 13, 1937) is a Canadian poet.Anna S. Blumenthal, Claire Harris, Canadian Encyclopedia, March 18, 2014, Historica Canada. Web, Apr. 10, 2017. Life Harris was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad. She studied at University College Dublin, where she earned a B.A. in 1961; and at the University of the West Indies in Jamaica, where she earned a teaching diploma in 1963. In 1966 she emigrated to Canada and settled in Calgary, Alberta, where she taught high school English until 1994.Claire Harrris, English Canadian Writers, Athabasca University. Web, Apr. 10, 2017. In 1975 she studied at the University of Lagos, Nigeria, where she earned a diploma in communications, and began writing poetry with the encouragement of Nigerian poet J.P. Clark. On her return to Canada Harris became active in the Calgary literary community. She worked with "Poetry Goes Public" from 1976 to 1979.Claire Harris, Voices from the Gaps, University of Minnesota, 2009. Web, Apr. 10, 2017. She served as poetry editor of The Dandelion from 1981 to 1989, and helped found blue buffalo magazine in 1983. Her debut poetry collection, Fables from the Women's Quarter, was published in 1984. Writing English-Canadian Writers: "Many of Harris’s poems deal with the problems of injustice whether it is in colonial or post-colonial regions or in violence against women. Even in Drawing Down a Daughter, a collection of personal poems on friendship, love and, motherhood, there are many references to the condition of African-Canadians." Canadian Encyclopedia: "Using such verse techniques as contrasting prose and poetry on the page, or alternating journalistic prose with the voice of prophecy, Harris dramatizes and makes public the psychological struggles experienced by women of colour who face oppression. This approach makes her poetic mission unique among Black poets writing in Canada today. Although Harris deals with such themes as mortality and female complicity in women's victimhood, she recurs often to the problem of Black women's search for identity and cultural belonging in Western culture." Recognition Harris has won the Commonwealth Award for Poetry for the Americas Region (1985), the Writers' Guild of Alberta Award for poetry (1987), the Alberta Culture poetry prize (1988), and an Alberta Culture Special Award (1990). Her 1992 collection, Drawing Down a Daughter, was nominated for a Governor General's Award.Claire Harris 1937- , Canadian Women Poets, Brock University, BrockU.ca, Web, July 1, 2012. Publications Poetry *''Fables from the Women's Quarters''. Toronto: Williams-Wallace, 1984; Fredericton, NB: Goose Lane Editions, 1995. *''Translation into Fiction''. Fredericton, NB: Goose Lane Editions, 1984. *''Travelling to Find a Remedy''. Fredericton, NB: Goose Lane Editions, 1986. *''The Conception of Winter''. Stratford, ON: Williams-Wallace, 1989; Fredericton, NB: Goose Lane Editions, 1995. *''Drawing Down a Daughter''. Fredericton, NB: Goose Lane Editions, 1992. *''Dipped in Shadow''. Fredericton, NB: Goose Lane Editions, 1996. *''She''. Fredericton, NB: Goose Lane Editions, 2000. Edited *''Kitchen Talk: Contemporary women's prose and poetry'' (edited with Edna Alford). Red Deer, AB: Red Deer College Press, 1992. Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy Athabasca University.Bibliography of Works by Claire Harris, English-Canadian Writers, Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences, Athabasca University, Web, July 1, 2012. See also *Black Canadian poets *List of Canadian poets References External links ;Poems *"No God Waits on Incense" (excerpt) *"Kay in Summer" *"Framed" ;Books *Claire Harris at Amazon.com ;About *Claire Harris in the Canadian Encyclopedia *Claire Harris at Canadian Women Poets *Claire Harris at English-Canadian Writers * Claire Harris at Voices from the Gaps * Claire Harris in Gale Contemporary Black Biography *Claire Harris: Literature Category:1937 births Category:Living people Category:Canadian poets Category:Canadian women writers Category:20th-century poets Category:20th-century women writers Category:Black Canadian writers Category:English-language poets Category:Poets Category:Women poets Category:Black Canadian poets